One often-discussed solution for rescheduling LSU's game at Florida -- which was postponed last week because of concerns about Hurricane Matthew -- is to have the teams play Nov. 19.
Both have nonconference home games on that date -- Florida against Presbyterian and LSU against South Alabama -- and many in the media have suggested the SEC schools buy out the contracts for those opponents and play each other.
That plan sounds reasonable enough, but LSU Athletic Director Joe Alleva said this week there is no way the Tigers are giving up a home game Nov. 19 -- which is senior night for LSU -- to play at Florida.
"One thing we're going to hold very firm on is that we have a home game on November 19," Alleva said at a news conference. "We are not going to change that situation. It's the fact that our fans and this city deserve to have a home game that day."
If LSU were to play at Florida on Nov. 19, it not only would change senior night plans but also mean the Tigers would finish the regular season with three SEC road games -- at Arkansas, at Florida and at Texas A&M -- in a 13-day span because the LSU-Texas A&M game is on Thanksgiving Day.
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey issued a statement this week explaining administrators at Florida and LSU have agreed to work with the SEC office to make "every effort to find a scheduling solution" for the postponed game.
"We need to play the game, and we need to have people come together to find a way to make that happen," Sankey said.
Under SEC by-laws, Sankey cannot force Florida or LSU to play the game on a certain date.
So unless Sankey can do some serious arm-twisting of Alleva, if the game is rescheduled, it won't be at Florida on Nov. 19.
Spurrier 'a little bored'
Today marks one year since Steve Spurrier resigned as South Carolina's coach with six games remaining in the 2015 season.
It was a surprise ending to an impressive run by Spurrier at South Carolina, where he had an 86-49 record after replacing Lou Holtz as coach in 2005.
Spurrier led the Gamecocks to three consecutive 11-victory seasons from 2011-13, but South Carolina slumped to 7-6 in 2014 and was 2-4 last season when he resigned.
"Basically, I had failed to put together a competitive team, and I knew my time was finished there," Spurrier told The State newspaper of Columbia, S.C., this week. "I'm still convinced it was the right thing to do.
"It was either go out then or announce and go out at the end of the season. Or the other would have been to be like most coaches and say, 'I ain't quitting,' and then they have to fire you, but I wasn't going to do that.
"I always said when it went bad, I'd be gone and they wouldn't have to buy me out."
Spurrier, who won the 1966 Heisman Trophy as Florida's quarterback and led the Gators to the 1996 national championship as their coach, is back in Gainesville working for his alma mater as a consultant and ambassador for the athletic department.
"Oh, I'm a little bored," Spurrier told The State.
Spurrier's job now is to represent the Gators at various functions and speaking engagements. Sometimes he'll go to football practice and visit with Coach Jim McElwain.
"I go watch practice every now and then and watch a little tape and make some suggestions, but that's all," Spurrier said. "Their terminology and mine are completely different. We don't even know what the other one is talking about half the time."
South Carolina finished 3-9 last season and is off to a 2-4 start under Coach Will Muschamp.
"After last year, I have to take responsibility," Spurrier told The State in regard to the Gamecocks' struggles. "I thought I could fix the defense. I thought we had a decent team.
"I was wrong. I was terribly wrong, and then it was over."
Family time
LSU Coach Ed Orgeron said it was disappointing to not play Florida on Saturday, but he took advantage of the unexpected open date to see his son, Parker -- a freshman wide receiver at McNeese State -- play against Southeastern Louisiana.
Orgeron said after a pregame meal of boudin balls, ribs, dirty rice and shrimp, he and his wife, Kelly, went to Hammond, La., where Parker caught 5 passes for 67 yards and had 3 punt returns for 44 yards in McNeese State's 31-24 loss.
"We had a great time, me and my family," Orgeron said. "It was a gift to be able to go see my son play. It's the first time I'd seen him in a college football uniform, and he had a good game."
Parker Orgeron's twin brother, Cody, is a quarterback at McNeese State and is redshirting this season.
Eason struggles
Georgia didn't need to pass effectively to beat South Carolina 28-14 on Sunday, when the Bulldogs rushed for 326 yards, including 133 by Sony Michel and 121 by Nick Chubb.
Jacob Eason, Georgia's highly touted freshman quarterback, completed 5 of 17 passes for 29 yards.
It was the fewest passing yards for Georgia since 1990, when the Bulldogs had 28 in a 33-10 loss to Auburn.
Eason has been good enough this season to throw a game-winning, fourth-down touchdown pass in a 28-27 victory at Missouri and throw a 50-yard touchdown pass against Tennessee that put the Bulldogs ahead with 10 seconds left before the Vols won on a Hail Mary pass on the game's final play.
"Jacob knows that he's had his ups and downs this season," Georgia Coach Kirby Smart said. "He's had his 'wow' moments, and he's had his bad moments.
"I think when you're starting a true freshman, you know that you're going to inherently go through some of those."
Eason has completed 86 of 168 passes (51.2 percent) for 1,020 yards and 8 touchdowns with 5 interceptions.
Back in poll
Auburn, which has an open date before playing Arkansas on Oct. 22 at Jordan-Hare Stadium, is ranked No. 23 in this week's Associated Press Top 25 Poll after winning 38-14 at Mississippi State.
It's the first time the Tigers (4-2, 2-1 SEC) have been ranked since Sept. 13, 2015, when they were No. 18. They fell out of the AP poll the next week after a 45-21 loss at LSU.
"You've got to earn everything you get, especially in this league," Auburn Coach Gus Malzahn said. "We're just trying to get better each week. So far, so good."
Mizzou defense
Maybe Missouri's defense will have its act together by the time the Tigers close the regular season against Arkansas on Nov. 25. Maybe the Tigers will get it figured out before then.
But right now, Missouri's defense is a bit of a mess as LSU showed in beating the Tigers 42-7 on Oct. 1.
Against Missouri's four Football Bowl Subdivision opponents -- West Virginia, Georgia, Eastern Michigan and LSU -- the Tigers are allowing 225.3 rushing yards per game.
Missouri defensive coordinator DeMontie Cross, a former TCU assistant, said the Tigers had 22 missed tackles against LSU that led to an additional 160 yards.
"We put an emphasis on tackling," Cross told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "We tackle at the beginning of practice. We tackle at the end of practice.
"We did it before the LSU game. We have to have the confidence to make the plays, and when guys are in position the plays weren't being made. Flat out. The tape doesn't lie."
With an open date last week, Cross held a special meeting on defense to talk things over.
"He wanted to know how we felt," Missouri senior linebacker Michael Scherer told the Post-Dispatch. "He wanted to know how he could contribute to help us play better. He's not [saying], 'My way or the highway.' He's listening to us. He's taking opinions from us."
Senior defensive tackle Rickey Hatley said Cross has been simplifying the defense each week.
"Guys need to take more ownership, learn the plays by themselves," Hatley told the Post-Dispatch. "Then trust everyone so we're on the same page.
"The scheme works. We just have to apply it, study it more."
Two-minute drill
• Tennessee tailback Jalen Hurd is back to full strength and will play Saturday against Alabama, Vols Coach Butch Jones said Wednesday. Hurd missed last week's game at Texas A&M because of an undisclosed injury.
• Texas A&M has started 6-0 for the first time since 1994. The Aggies, then playing in the Southwest Conference, finished 10-0-1 that season, including a 21-21 tie against SMU. Texas A&M didn't play in a bowl game or win the SWC championship because of NCAA sanctions.
• LSU tailback Leonard Fournette isn't expected to play against Southern Mississippi, said Tigers Coach Ed Orgeron. Fournette is trying to heal from an ankle injury, which already has caused him to miss two games.
• Georgia sophomore defensive lineman Jonathan Ledbetter is eligible to play against Vanderbilt on Saturday after serving a six-game suspension because of two alcohol-related arrests.
• According to The State newspaper, last week's game against Georgia is believed to be the first time South Carolina played on a Sunday since Sept. 29, 1946, when it beat Newberry 21-0.
SEC TOP TO BOTTOM
Rank;(previous);record;comment
1;(1)Alabama;6-0;Going for 10 in a row over Vols
2;(2)Texas A&M(2);6-0;Open date to prepare for Tide
3;(3);Tennessee;5-1;Comeback kids fall short at A&M
4;(4)Ole Miss;3-2;Beating Hogs has been a problem
5;(6);Florida;4-1;Del Rio will be back vs. Mizzou
6;(5);Arkansas;4-2;Allen is one tough QB
7;(8);Auburn;4-2;Open date before welcoming Hogs
8;(7);LSU;3-2;Unscheduled open date last week
9;(9);Georgia;4-2;Kirby pulling for Nick to beat Vols
10;(10);Mississippi State;2-3;Friday night game at BYU
11;(12);Kentucky;3-3;Back in bowl picture
12;(11);Missouri;2-3;Looking for upset in the Swamp
13;(13)South Carolina;2-4;At least got the Georgia game in
14(14);Vanderbilt;2-4;Webb continues to be SEC's top rusher
PLAYER TO WATCH
Florida redshirt sophomore quarterback Luke Del Rio will return to the starting lineup for Saturday's game against Missouri.
Del Rio missed the Gators' first two SEC games -- a loss at Tennessee and victory at Vanderbilt -- after spraining a knee against North Texas.
Gators Coach Jim McElwain said Del Rio has been full go in practice and shouldn't be limited for the Missouri game.
It's likely Del Rio would have started Saturday against LSU if the game hadn't been postponed, but another week to prepare and get his knee stronger figures to help.
Del Rio has completed 62 of 101 passes (62.2 percent) for 762 yards and 6 touchdowns with 2 interceptions, and he should help the Gators have a more productive offense to complement their stingy defense.
GAME OF THE WEEK
Alabama at Tennessee
WHEN 2:30 p.m. Saturday (CBS)
WHERE Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, Tenn.
RECORDS Alabama 6-0, 3-0 SEC. Tennessee 5-1, 2-1
RANKINGS Alabama is ranked No. 1. Tennessee is ranked No. 9.
LINE Alabama favored by 13 points
Tennessee ended an 11-game losing streak to Florida earlier this season. Now the Vols will try to end a nine-game losing streak to the Crimson Tide.
The Vols last beat the Tide 16-13 at Knoxville in 2006 when Mike Shula was Alabama's coach.
This game marks the end of a brutal stretch for Tennessee, in which the Vols have beaten Florida and Georgia but lost to Texas A&M. The Aggies beat the Vols 45-38 in double overtime at Kyle Field.
Alabama is looking to extend its overall winning streak to 19 games after taking a 49-30 victory at Arkansas last week.
Tennessee will be without several key players on defense because of injuries, so the Vols likely need to score plenty of points to keep up with the Tide.
BY THE NUMBERS
1999 -- The last time Alabama and Tennessee met when both teams were ranked in the top 10 of the AP poll.
29 of 61 -- Plays Alabama blitzed on dropbacks by Arkansas quarterback Austin Allen, according to Pro Football Focus.
1,276 -- Combined yards in total offense by Tennessee and Texas A&M in the Aggies' 45-38 double-overtime victory.
OVERHEARD
"Nineteen deaths, 2.5 million people without power. Families in dire need. Obviously, they don't know me, they don't know the Florida Gators. They don't know our players. Dodging the game? Wow."
-- Gators Coach Jim McElwain on accusations Florida didn't want to play LSU last weekend rather than postponing the game because of Hurricane Matthew.
Sports on 10/13/2016